He Called Me Crazy, Then Regretted

Chapter 4

The rain hammered down harder by the second, thudding like low, heavy drumbeats right against my chest.

I stared dumbfounded at the woman who had suddenly appeared behind Grey. Her chestnut loose waves cascaded casually over her shoulders, and even without a scrap of makeup, she was still stunningly beautiful.

When she spotted me, she looked a little surprised at first, then broke into a polite smile. "We have a guest? Why are you making her stand outside in this heavy rain?" Her tone was warm and completely natural, making me feel like nothing more than an intruder who'd barged uninvited into someone else's private space.

Grey gripped the door handle, his voice edged with faint irritation. "No one important."

Rain lashed against me nonstop, so cold I almost doubled over to curl into myself for warmth.

So he'd already moved on with his life a long time ago. I really was just no one to him.

My legs wobbled, and I stumbled back a clumsy step. Agony roiled in my chest. I mustered every last ounce of strength. I had to force the words out slowly. "I'm sorry for bothering you two."

Grey's perfectly shaped eyebrows twitched in an almost imperceptible frown.

I kept stepping back, one foot after another, and the second I turned around, tears finally burst free, mixing with the rain as they streamed down my face.

He'd finally achieved his dream, built a better life for himself, and now had someone who stood by his side, a perfect match for the man he'd become.

I should take the hint and bow out gracefully.

Once I'd walked away from Grey's place, the rain picked up even more, and the number of cars on the road dwindled by the minute.

Grey's clear, bright voice entered my ears all of the sudden, the words he used to tell me back then echoing in my mind:

"Don't wait for me to log on tonight. We're shooting a rain scene, and the lead keeps messing up. I'll probably be filming until midnight."

"I got two extra lines in this drama."

"Don't bother going to the theater. My scenes got cut…"

I still remembered how tough things were for him back then.

Now that he'd finally left all that hardship behind, I should have been happy for him. But why did my heart feel like it was being stabbed and twisted by a knife, the pain so raw I couldn't breathe?

I guess I was just an incredibly selfish person, deep down. Every last ounce of strength had been drained out of me. I was so, so tired. Every inch of my body ached. If only I could just make all of this stop…

A car rumbled toward me from a short distance away, its high beams cutting bright through the pouring rain. Drawn like a moth to a flame to its glaring light, I drifted straight into the middle of the road without a single conscious thought.

All of a sudden, a hand wrapped tight around my arm and wrenched me back. "Selene!"

I had no strength left in me at all. I went limp and crumpled to the ground with the force of the yank.

Amelia's furious voice cut through the drumming patter of the rain. "Selene, what the hell do you think you're doing?"

I glanced up at her like a kid who'd just been caught red-handed doing something wrong, and mumbled apology after apology on automatic pilot. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"

Amelia's sharp expression softened for a split second. She sighed, hauled me to my feet, and helped me into her car. "A friend of mine lives in the same complex as Grey. I was gonna swing by to see if I could set up a meeting between you two. I never thought you'd show up here on your own."

She gave me a disapproving look. "What on earth made you think showing up to visit Grey by yourself was a smart call?"

The image of that cold, handsome face popped into my head, and a bitter taste flooded my mouth. My fingers clenched tight into fists without me even realizing it.

When I didn't say a word, Amelia sighed again. "This was so reckless. Do you have any idea how many people have their eyes glued to you, just waiting for you to slip up?"

The flashing neon lights outside the car window suddenly warped and blurred, shifting into the faces of Grey and that woman.

A sharp stab of pain lanced through my heart. I looked down at my palm, covered in bleeding nail marks I'd dug into my skin without even noticing. "Amelia, I'll never do it again."

Amelia drove me home, and right before she left, she pulled a script out of her bag and handed it to me. "Stop overthinking everything for now. This is a new movie the company booked for you. You're playing the third female lead, and filming starts in a week. Spend the next few days prepping for it."

That's how the company always handled all my jobs. They never even bothered to run it by me first.

I took the script from her, and Amelia added, "The male lead is Grey."

I went rigid at the mention of his name.

When she saw me, frozen stock still, Amelia frowned. "You don't have that many scenes opposite him. Just steer clear of him whenever you can."

After Amelia left, I was alone in the apartment, and that suffocating, chest-tightening feeling came crashing back over me. My hands shaking, I rummaged through my purse, upending its entire contents onto the table until I finally spotted the tiny pill bottle labeled Amitriptyline.

I fumbled to shove the pills into my mouth, my hands shaking so bad I almost dropped the bottle.

I'd had depression for five years, starting out moderate and slowly worsening to severe. Not even Amelia knew about it. I couldn't let anyone find out. This was my secret...

A week later, I showed up on set with my assistant.

I'd barely sat down when a ruckus broke out outside. "Grey Clifford's here!"

Grey was dressed in casual wear and a baseball cap. When he stepped into the makeup room, he glanced over toward where I was sitting and gave a small nod.

I froze for a second, but before I could process it, Angela Marcus, the female lead sitting next to me, leaned around me with a wide, bright smile, greeting him. "Grey, you're here!"

Grey's gaze slid right past me, not lingering for even a split second.

I dropped my eyes, a bitter taste coating my tongue. He hated me that much, and I'd actually been stupid enough to think he was nodding at me specifically.

Just then, someone burst into the room, yelling at the top of his lungs, "Hey, have you guys seen the top trending hashtag? This is insane!"

#SeleneShowsUpatGrey'sDoorintheRainThrowingHerselfatHimGetsBrutallyShutDown!